Missouri Route 103

{{Infobox road|

state=MO|

type=Route|

route = 103 |

established = {{circa|1933}} |

length_mi = 3.832 |

length_ref = {{MoDOT Flex|access-date=May 11, 2012}} |

direction_b = North |

direction_a = South |

terminus_b = {{jct|state=MO|US|60}} near Van Buren |

terminus_a = {{jct|state=MO|Supp|Z}} at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways |

previous_type = MO |

previous_route= 102 |

next_type = MO |

next_route = 104 |

map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-lat=36.97 |frame-long=-91.01|zoom=11|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Missouri Route 103}}}} |

map_custom=yes |

map_notes=Route 103 highlighted in cyan |

}}

Route 103 is a short highway in southeastern Missouri. Its southern terminus is at Route Z inside the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The route travels north and intersects a few county roads as it leaves the national park. The road ends at U.S. Route 60 in a three-way junction. After being proposed in 1930, a road was built from the national park to US 60 in 1933. The gravel road was designated as Route 103, and it was paved five years later.

Route description

File:Ozark National Scenic Riverways park map.png

All of the route is located in Carter County. In 2016, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) calculated 267 vehicles, including 29 trucks travelling on Route 103 north of its southern terminus. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year.{{Cite map|publisher=Missouri Department of Transportation|title=Southeast District Travel Volume and Commercial Vehicle Count Map|url=http://www.modot.org/safety/documents/2016_Traffic_SE.pdf|access-date=May 15, 2018|year=2016|author=Missouri Department of Transportation}}

Route 103 begins at the intersection of Peavine Road and Route Z inside the Ozark National Scenic Riverways,{{Cite map|url=http://modot.org/newsandinfo/documents/carter.pdf|title=General Highway Map – Carter County|publisher=Missouri Department of Transportation|cartography=Missouri Department of Transportation|year=2012|access-date=May 15, 2018}} at the Big Spring Historic District.{{cite web|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=46e0853c-4051-4018-bb77-a3d0921855b4|title=Big Spring Historic District|access-date=May 15, 2018|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service}} The road travels westward through the forest, and it curves northward near the southern terminus of Skyline Drive. The route then intersects the eastern terminus of County Road 202 (CRD 202) north of Skyline Drive. About {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} past CRD 202, Route 103 leaves the national park, and it meets the northern ends of Skyline Drive and Peavine Road. The road shifts to the northeast, and intersects a road leading to the unincorporated area of Chicopee. The road ends at US 60 in South Van Buren at a three-way junction south of Current River and the city of Van Buren.

History

Around 1930, a road was proposed to start from the Ozark National Scenic Riverways to US 60 as a park connection.{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1929.pdf|title=Map of Missouri Showing State Road System|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1929|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916132316/http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1929.pdf|archive-date=September 16, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1930.pdf|title=Map of Missouri Showing State Road System|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1930|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916165545/http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1930.pdf|archive-date=September 16, 2012|url-status=dead}} The gravel road was constructed by 1933, and it was designated as Route 103.{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1932.pdf|title=Map of Missouri Showing State Road System|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1932|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908002642/http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1932.pdf|archive-date=September 8, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1933.pdf|title=Map of Missouri Showing State Road System|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1933|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916133541/http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1933.pdf|archive-date=September 16, 2012|url-status=dead}} The route was paved by 1938,{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1937.pdf|title=Map of Missouri Showing State Road System|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1933|access-date=May 15, 2018}}{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1938_mapfront.pdf|title=Missouri Official Highway Map|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1938|access-date=May 15, 2018}} as part of a larger project with a cost of $836,300 ({{Inflation|US|836300|1937|fmt=eq}}), with a fraction going to Route 103's improvement.{{cite news|title=Highway Board to Let Contracts Again on July 9th|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20105712/|access-date=May 15, 2018|work=The Democrat-Argus|date=June 29, 1937|location=Caruthersville, Missouri|page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} In 1959, a project was announced to establish a supplemental route, Route Z, that would start at the southern terminus of Route 103.{{cite news|title=$21 Million in Road Projects Approved|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20106143/|access-date=May 15, 2018|work=The Springfield News-Leader|date=July 3, 1959|location=Springfield, Missouri|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}} The route was built as a gravel road by 1961,{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1960001_reduced.pdf|title=Missouri Highway Map|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1960|access-date=May 15, 2018}}{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1961001_reduced.pdf|title=Missouri Highway Map|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1961|access-date=May 15, 2018}} and it was paved around nine years later.{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1969_front.pdf|title=Missouri Official Highway Map|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1969|access-date=May 15, 2018}}{{Cite map|url=http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/publications/documents/1970_front.pdf|title=Missouri Official Highway Map|publisher=Missouri State Highway Commission|cartography=Missouri State Highway Commission|year=1970|access-date=May 15, 2018}}